DATING AFTER DIVORCE -- TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL ONLINE DATING

1. Guard Your Personal Information – Guarding your personal, sensitive information should be absolutely first and foremost on your agenda when it comes to online dating. Most internet dating sites are filled with "normal" people who are honestly looking for someone else – whether for casual dating or for a serious relationship that leads to marriage. However, there's another set of people you should be concerned with who are in it for all of the wrong reasons and who's intentions are anything but serious.

2. Create a Free Email Address – There are plenty of free email services to choose from so make an email address that's exclusively for use for your adventures in online dating, at least until you've met someone you know you can completely trust. You don't want messages from a jilted "e-date" to be clogging up your work inbox!

3. Choose a Reputable Service – There's certainly no shortage of websites and services devoted to bringing people together romantically, so before you can start looking at other people's profiles, you've got to choose a dating site that meets your needs. When you visit the various dating sites, be sure to thoroughly read their FAQ or Help pages before signing up for anything, and make certain you understand the membership fees, if any, as well as what their refund policies are.

4. Take Your Time – Time is of absolutely no concern in cyberspace. Don't get so excited about meeting a potential profile match that you rush out and put a down payment on a house for the two of you. Take plenty of time to get to know someone before getting serious, or before taking the next steps forward toward a physical relationship.

5. Ask for Photos – Besides the obvious aspect of whether or not you're physically attracted to someone, asking for a few photos also helps to gauge whether or not a person is being honest and seriously looking for a relationship of some sort – or if they're someone merely prowling the internet for reasons that are usually best left unsaid. You'll also want to make sure you're getting pictures that are relatively recent and that you're using recent ones in your own profile as well.

6. Using the Phone – After meeting someone online and chatting for a while, the next step is to exchange telephone numbers and see if the sparks are still flying through the phone's wires. Talking on the telephone is a great way to learn about a person so be sure to make phone "meetings" a part of your online dating agenda before taking the relationship any further.

7. Follow Your Gut Instincts – Most people have an inbred sense of instinct, but whether or not we actually listen to that inner voice and heed its wise warnings is a completely different story. If something just doesn't seem quite right to you, then chances are, it probably isn't. Don't make the mistake of second guessing yourself. Instead, learn to rely upon your natural instincts and listen when they're trying to tell you something.

For more information, contact the Family Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at http://www.familylawmarin.com/ --